We are excited about our newsletter. The articles are designed to help you and your family have a healthy lifestyle.

This month we are discussing Artificial Sweeteners Create Problems and Learn How To Break Through A Weight-Loss Plateau !

We have also included a great recipe for Strawberry Parfait.

We're told time and again to cut down refined sugar in our diets to avoid obesity, diabetes, cholesterol and the rest. What do we do? Head straight for the "sugar-free" drinks and foods to satisfy our sweet tooth (should that be sweet teeth?).

You know the line..."I'll have a bar of chocolate, oh, and a diet coke, because I'm slimming." And, a lot of us switch to using artificial sweeteners in our cappuccinos and lattes.

But, have a quick look at the ingredient labels on the food, and you might be in for a shock. There are vast numbers of foods and drinks that contain sugar and sweeteners.

Part of the appeal is that sweet foods make us feel like consuming some more. One bit of chocolate is never enough. "May as well finish it - it's only a small bar." One biscuit leads to another, and so on - a great benefit for the manufacturers. No so good for a population rapidly gaining weight.

"So what?" I hear you shout. (At least I shouted it at the computer.) "If there is less sugar in my food, I must be lowering my risk of developing diabetes. And those artificial sweeteners have no calories, therefore no unsightly fat."

True. Most sweeteners are calorie-free, or almost so, but they are still chemicals - food additives that could cause side effects. Here's a brief rundown of the common sweeteners: -

Saccharin

Discovered over 100 years ago - no calories - the first widely used artificial sweetener - still used today -safe - leaves a nasty aftertaste with some people (namely, me!).

Cyclamate

Discovered in 1937 - no calories - 30 times sweeter than sucrose (table sugar) - the least sweet of the "intense sweeteners" - used in combination with saccharin - banned in the USA in 1970 after safety concerns - still used in other countries - research says it's safe.

Acesulfame-K

Discovered in 1967 - 200 times sweeter than sucrose - calorie-free - no aftertaste - no documented adverse effects - currently used in many countries.

Aspartame (NutraSweet)

Approved by the USA in 1981 - 200 times sweeter than sucrose - widely used but many reports of side effects - claimed to be safe, except for people with phenylketonuria (an inherited disease) - but it increases appetite and cravings for sweets - gets into the brain – causes headaches, dizziness, memory loss, slurred speech, ringing in the ears, drowsiness, insomnia, aggression, skin problems, weight gain and more - symptoms sometimes called "aspartame disease" - demands for its removal from the market, but it is still there.

Sucralose (Splenda)

1998 - calorie-free - 600 times sweeter than sucrose - made from sugar - claimed to be safe - many studies but no toxic effects -is added to many products - but reports of symptoms such as sleep disruption, damage to the immune system and nerve damage - it is a chlorinated molecule similar to some pesticides and may have similar effects, such as building up in body fat over time - nothing has been proved, yet.

Neotame

Not available in the UK yet - approved in the US - 7,000 to 13,000 times sweeter than sucrose - chemically related to aspartame - you only need a trace of it to make something sweet - too early to say whether it is good or bad.

Alitame (Aclaim)

Another derivative of aspartame - 2,000 times sweeter than sucrose - no aftertaste - not yet approved in the USA, but used in Australia, New Zealand and China - no reports of problems, so far.

Stevia

Comes from a small plant - a natural sugar substitute - 300 times sweeter than sucrose - used world-wide for many years with no reports of toxicity -approved in the USA only as a supplement and herb.

Polyols

Are a group of sugar-free carbohydrates- fewer calories than sugar - do not affect blood sugar levels - do not cause tooth decay – names such as isomalt, maltitol, lactitol and xylitol.

My worry is that the food giants are creating sweeteners that should really be treated more like drugs. When you think of it, just by indulging your weakness for a particular food or soft drink, you could be consuming, over the years, a significant quantity of chemical that might affect your health, and we need to know the side effects. More products now use mixtures of sweeteners to capture the "real taste" of sugar, and who's tested that?

I try to avoid sweeteners, although it is not easy. Checking the labels of even "healthy options" reveals just how often the sweetener card is played. For me, a little sugar in my yoghurt or soda water is better than a cocktail of sweeteners.

There is no free ticket to eating low-sugar products. Some may even make you ill and put weight on. Pass the sugar!

Source: http://www.articlecircle.com
About the Author
James Brunton has spent more than thirty years as a pharmacist and brings his vast experience to the integrated health scene. Get a free tips booklet on foods and supplements by subscribing to his newsletter at http://www.healthexplored.co.uk

"I've successfully lost X of the Y pounds I want to lose, but now I am stuck at the same weight even though I'm sticking to my diet. How can I start losing again?"

Here's the answer... You've reached a plateau (which is normal), and --- it's time to shake things up! ---

Plateaus are a fact of weight-loss life, so don't get down on yourself. In fact, now is exactly the time to pat yourself on the back: Look at how far you've come and be proud of it! Then you can determine if this is really a plateau -- or if you have simply reached your ideal weight. ,

I know as well as you do how attempts at weight loss can drive us crazy. According to the numbers, we can seem to be doing everything right, and yet nothing seems to happen.

The first step is to stop focusing on the scale. Often a change in the scale just reflects the pounds of body fluid you lose and gain every day rather than how much fat you've lost or gained.

Also, you can lose inches of fat without losing weight when you gain muscles, because muscles weigh more than fat (but look a heck of a lot better). So if you can't rely on the scale to tell you how you're doing week to week, what can you count on? Use a measuring tape as your another tool to measure your success.

The science of weight loss is not a mystery -- you must decrease the energy in (calories) and increase the energy out. One of the best ways to increase our energy out is to increase our activity level. That means...

Exercise

In any weight-loss program, exercises is a crucial part of the formula. If you've stopped losing weight, it's time to start exercising more or increase your workout intensity. Here are several ways you can alter your training routine to push you past the plateau.

* Add variety

If you've been walking, try cycling or swimming. Increase the intensity of your cardiovascular or aerobic exercise by adding short bursts of higher-intensity movement, such as sprinting. These intervals should last 30 to 60 seconds and be followed by less intense exercise for two or three times the length of the burst. Start by adding one or two of these intervals to your routine, then increase the number as you improve your conditioning. Work out with a friend or a personal trainer. This may motivate you to pick up your pace.

* Intensify your workouts

Adding a few extra minutes to your routine, occasionally picking up the pace or tackling a hill or two can help you burn extra calories. Your 20 to 30 minutes of daily walking is good, but adding more time or trying new activities, such as bike riding or swimming, will help boost calorie burning.

* Add some muscle

Try some strength-building types of exercise, such as weight training or calisthenics. You'll build more muscle, which burns more calories than fat, *even when you're sleeping.*

Watch Your Food Intake

A strict exercise regimen is crucial in a weight-loss program, but the fat won't come off if you're hitting the potato chip aisle on a regular basis. Here are simple dietary changes you can make to help you lose the fat.

* Drink a lot of water

Drink a glass before you treat yourself to a second helping or an unnecessary snack. This helps you feel fuller. Eat foods that are high in fiber - they, too, help fill you up (the body doesn't digest fiber).

* Add some weight-loss supplements

Natural weight-loss products contain herbs to boost your metabolism, burn fat and help you curb your cravings for carbohydrates. If you're not using any weight-loss program, a plateau is a good time to start.

* Check your eating habits

Sometimes when the pounds start coming off, we're not as diligent as we were at the beginning. Portions start to creep up in size, and more sweets find their way into our diets. A food log is a good way to keep track of what you're putting in your mouth.

As you ease off that weight plateau, maintain your persistence. Your weight loss probably will be about a pound a week, and you may land on another plateau. Make adjustments as needed with your activity level.

In the end, you should view hitting a plateau as a good thing. Why? It means your body has less fat to lose, which explains why the weight isn't coming off as readily. And remember: It's best to lose weight slowly and sensibly so you can make changes that you'll keep for life.

There are many reasons for plateaus and therefore many solutions. If you address the above issues, you'll achive the weight-loss results you desire. And enjoy your improving fitness level and better health.

Octavia Butler

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